The cost of groceries in Spain has become more expensive, especially for those who fill their carts with vegetables, green legumes, eggs, fish and meatThe latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data shows that these food groups are among those that have increased their prices the most in the last twelve months, with increases that in several cases reach, and even exceed, double digits.
This price increase occurs in a context of Methodological changes in the CPI of the National Institute of Statistics (INE)which has updated the way consumption is measured and prices are collected. Even so, the figures leave little room for interpretation: the escalating cost of basic Spanish food items is clear and is being felt in household budgets.
Fruiting vegetables and green legumes lead the price increases
I agree with you Latest CPI data for April published by the INEVegetables grown for their fruit have become the undisputed culprits behind rising food prices. Common products such as all types of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, eggplant, peppers, and sweet corn have seen a price increase of 23% year-on-yearThis increase places this group as the most stressed in the fresh produce section and drives interest in growing vegetables at home.
green legumes They follow a very similar path. Beans and green peas, broad beans, snow peas, fresh white beans, fresh soybeans and their sprouts, as well as alfalfa, present a price increase of 17,5% in the last yearThese foods are closely linked to healthy diets and more plant-based eating patterns, so the price increase also affects those trying to maintain a high consumption of vegetables and legumes.
If we examine only the first four months of 2026, the acceleration is even greater: from January to April, the Fruit vegetables have become 24,8% more expensive and Green legumes remain popular with an increase of 17,5%. during the period, stringing together several months of strong increases.
Eggs, fish and meat: the rest of the shopping cart isn't spared either.
Beyond vegetables, other basic goods have also felt the impact of the price increases. Eggs now cost 14,7% more than in April of the previous yearconsolidating an upward trend that makes one of the most popular and accessible sources of protein for many families more expensive.
El fresh, chilled or frozen fish Nor is it far behind: according to the CPI, its prices have increased by 8,7% year-on-year. Added to this are the seafood preparationswhich have risen by 6,7% in the last year, so that both everyday fish and more elaborate seafood products have become significantly more expensive.
In the case of the fresh meatThe price increase is also noticeable: INE data points to a 5,1% year-on-year increaseIn addition to this, there are the so-called edible offal or entrails -such as livers, gizzards, kidneys, brains or testicles-, whose prices have increased by 8,6% in the last twelve monthsThese products, traditionally more economical, are also not immune to the general upward trend.
Looking at the monthly evolution, in April the Fresh fish sales increased by 1,6% compared to March, And the potatoes and breakfast cereals They registered increases of 1,2% in the same period. Although these monthly figures are more moderate than the year-on-year figures, they show that the pressure on the shopping basket continues month after month.
Products that become cheaper and cushion the rise in the cost of the basket
Despite the clear price increase of vegetables, legumes, eggs, fish, and meat, not everything is going up. Some Food prices have decreased in the last year and they serve, in part, to offset the blow to the household budget. The most striking case is that of the tropical fruits -avocados, plantains, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, cherimoyas, dates and figs-, which have become cheaper 20,4% year-on-year.
Also the vegetable oils They register declines, with a drop in prices of 5,9 %These are in addition to other fresh fruits very common on the Spanish table, such as melons, watermelons, kiwis, grapes, pomegranates or persimmons, which have reduced their cost a 5,4 % in the same period.
Similarly, mass-market consumer products such as potatoes and other tubers they become cheaper 2,9 %. The cane and beet sugar It falls by 2,5%, while the cereals They cut prices by 1,8% and pasta (macaroni, noodles, couscous, and similar products) saw a 1,5% decrease. These are gentler drops than the sharp increases in vegetables and animal protein, but they do contribute to partially contain total spending.
If we analyze the behavior month by month, April saw intense movements in the opposite direction: the fresh berries Fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and currants were the products that became the most affordable, with a collapse of 26,3% compared to March. also green legumes experienced a monthly drop of 5,9 % and fresh citrus fruits They reduced their prices by about 3%, after several months of upward pressure.
The 2026 snapshot: which foods are driving inflation
So far in 2026, price trends confirm that food inflation is concentrated in certain food groups. Between January and April, the Fruit vegetables lead the price increases with 24,8%.reinforcing the leading role they already play in the year-on-year rate. green legumes They are repeated as another of the most strained products, with a year-to-date increase of 17,5%..
Other factors that drive up the supermarket bill are the grape wine, with an increase of 5,6% in the first four months, and the seafood preparationswhich together total 4,2% in that same period. Prices also increase other vegetables such as garlic, onion, chives, spring onions, ginger, carrot, beetroot, radish, radishes, parsnips, turnip, leek and different types of mushrooms, saffron milk caps and button mushrooms, with a rise of around 4,1 %.
In parallel, the tropical fruits and fresh berries They show mixed behavior: although tropical crops are cheaper year-on-year, in the accumulated figures for the first months of the year both categories have risen by around 4%In other words, the picture changes depending on whether you look at the evolution month by month or compare it with the same point in the previous year.
How the CPI and the way of measuring the shopping basket have changed
The price increases come at a time when the INE has updated the CPI base to 2025Since January 2026, the index has been calculated using a new consumption classification that has gone from 12 to 13 major groups, revised the weights of each product in the basket, and updated the list of goods and services taken into account.
In the food section, the statistical agency has added to the index products that have gained importance in household diets, such as avocados and blueberries, while also removing other items considered obsolete, such as the tie or handkerchief in non-food sections. References such as the soft drinks and lemon beer in drinks, and the radiographs within medical services.
One of the most relevant new developments has to do with the price collection and recording processUntil now, when a significant change in a product's characteristics was detected, the adjustment was incorporated into the index calculation with a one-month delay. With the new procedure, and thanks to the expansion of electronic data collection devices, The adjustments are integrated in the same month in which the change occurs.This allows for a more refined and up-to-date picture of the evolution of inflation.
The INE, moreover, is promoting automated information collection methodsThis will be achieved by leveraging company databases (scanner data), automatic price capture from the internet (web scraping), and the use of computer systems in physical stores. These tools will be progressively incorporated into the CPI calculation throughout the new database, with the aim of more accurately reflecting how prices paid by consumers fluctuate.
With all these methodological changes on the table, the figures clearly show that Vegetables, green legumes, eggs, fish and meat are among the main culprits behind the increased cost of the shopping basket in Spain during the last year, while the decreases in tropical fruits, vegetable oils and certain basic products only manage to partially cushion a rise that continues to be noticeable every time it's time to go to the checkout.
